Ransomware attacks spike as world distracted by AI
What, you didn't think the top gangs were busy watching agents escape their sandboxes too, did you?
Ransomware attacks surged by nearly 20 percent in July, reaching 799 incidents, according to UK firm Comparitech, up from 668 in June. July marked the second-busiest month for ransomware attacks, trailing March, which saw 805 attacks. The primary targets of these attacks were finance companies, tech firms, pharmaceutical companies, medical billers, and the education sector, with ransomware attacks increasing by 71 percent, 62 percent, 46 percent, and 44 percent, respectively.
The United States was the most-targeted country, accounting for 322 of the 799 attacks. Qilin and The Gentlemen were the most prolific ransomware gangs, each claiming 125 and 135 victims, respectively, which combined accounted for nearly 33 percent of all attacks recorded that month. Experts advise businesses to implement multi-factor authentication, keep systems updated, and regularly back up data to mitigate ransomware threats amidst the ongoing AI hype.
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